Come dine with me! Lamb shanks pie

Lamb shank pie, stuffed pork, ultimate burgers the Saturday Kitchen host invites you into his own kitchen for some winter comfort food

A home made pie is the ultimate comfort food and is welcome on any table

When I was younger and worked in London, we used to buy lamb shanks for 15p each. But, thanks to us chefs using them more, the price has gone up.

They are still cheap given the amount of meat on them, but they need to be well cooked so it falls off the bone. They can also be bought in most supermarkets nowadays, which is an added bonus.

Serves 4

4 lamb shanks

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1tbsp rapeseed oil

2 onions, roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2tbsp plain flour, plus more to dust

250ml (9fl oz) white wine

750ml (25fl oz) chicken stock

600g (1lb 5oz) potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5cm (1in) chunks

3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2.5cm (1in) chunks

4 celery sticks, cut into 2.5cm (1in) chunks

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs of rosemary

4 sprigs of thyme

400g can of haricot beans, drained

1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

400g (14oz) rough puff pastry

300g (10½oz) peas, to serve

The key is to make sure the shanks are cooked well and cooled before making the pie, that way the meat will just fall apart.

Preheat the oven to 170°C/fan 150°C/gas 3. Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Heat a large casserole dish until hot, add the rapeseed oil and the lamb shanks and seal, turning, until golden brown on all sides.

Remove and set aside, then add the onions. Cook for two or three minutes until softened, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the flour, stir well and cook out for another minute before adding the white wine, stock, potatoes, carrots, celery, bay leaves, rosemary and thyme to the casserole. Bring to a simmer.

Stir in the beans, then return the lamb shanks to the pan and return to a gentle simmer. Cover and place in the oven for two hours, or simmer over a low heat on the hob if you prefer, until the lamb shanks are tender.

Remove from the oven. The lamb should be totally tender, but not quite falling off the bone. Place them upright in a pie dish with the vegetables around them, then set aside to cool completely. The lamb must be cold before you put the pastry on.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Brush the rim of the pie dish with the beaten egg, inside and out. Roll the pastry out on a floured surface to 5cm (2in) bigger than the pie dish and 5mm (¼in) thick.

Lay the sheet of pastry over the lamb shanks. Make four small slits with a sharp knife where the bones are and press gently down so that the bones stick out through the pastry. Crimp the pastry around the rim of the dish; this will help it stay attached and not slide off the dish. Brush with the egg and season with a little salt, then place in the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and cooked through and the filling hot.

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the peas and cook for three or four minutes until tender. Drain and serve with the pie.

Home Comforts by James Martin (Quadrille, £20). To order a copy for £16 until 31 January go to mailbookshop.co.uk or tel. 0808 272 0808. Free p&p for a limited time only. The new series of James Martin: Home Comforts is on Monday to Friday, 3.45pm, BBC1.